Tired of those old ringtones that come standard on your Android phone? You can turn any sound or music file into a custom ringtone for free, without having to subscribe to a service or pay for a download. As long as you have the music or sound file, you can use your computer to edit the ringtone length and then send it to your phone. You can also use an app on your Android phone to create a ringtone from a stored music file on your phone.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Using your computer
Step 1. Prepare the ringtone-ready file
You can get ringtones in various places, or you can make your own. Ringtones should be about thirty seconds long and can be made from any type of sound file.
- Click here for instructions on how to create and edit your own ringtone from a music or sound file using the free software on your computer. Make sure to save the complete ringtone as an.mp3 file.
- If you want to create a ringtone using an app on your Android without having to connect it to a computer, read the "Use an app" method.
Step 2. Connect your Android phone to your computer via USB cable
Unlock your screen when it's locked.
Step 3. Go to the files on your device
If you are using Windows, you can find your Android phone in the Computer/My Computer window (⊞ Win+E). If you're using OS X, your Android phone will appear on your desktop, but you'll need to install the Android File Transfer program first.
Step 4. Open the Ringtones folder
The location of this may differ depending on which phone you use. You can usually find it in the root directory of your device, but it can also be located under /media/audio/ringtones/.
If you don't have a Ringtones folder, you can create one in the root folder of your phone. Right-click on an empty space in your phone's root folder and click "Create New" → "Folder"
Step 5. Copy the ringtone file to the Ringtones folder
You can click and drag the file from your computer to the Ringtones folder, or you can right-click it and click "Copy". Right-click in the Ringtones folder and choose 'Paste'.
Step 6. Disconnect your phone after the ringtone is sent
The transfer should only take a few seconds.
Step 7. Open the Settings app on your phone and select 'Sound'
Step 8. Click on the 'Ringtone' or 'Ringtone' option
Select your ringtone from the list. If the ringtone has an ID3 tag (information), the correct title will be displayed, otherwise the file name will be displayed.
Method 2 of 2: Using an app
Step 1. Download 'Ringtone Maker' from Google Play Store
There are many apps that allow you to make ringtones, but Ringtone Maker is free and has a simple interface. You can of course also use another app, the steps will probably be very similar to those for Ringtone Maker.
Step 2. Download the song you want to use for the ringtone or transfer it to your device
In order for Ringetone Maker to work you will need to have the music stored on your Android device.
Click here for instructions on how to add music files to your Android phone
Step 3. Open the Ringtone Maker app
A list of all the sound files on your device will appear. If you can't find the file you're looking for, click the menu button at the top right of your screen and select 'Browse'. You can then browse your device's storage to find the sound file you want.
Step 4. Click the green button next to the file you want to edit
Choose 'Edit' from the menu.
Step 5. Use the sliders to adjust the song to the part you want to change in the ringtone
Ringtones are best set to 30 seconds or less. Clicking the 'Play' button will play the current selection. You can use the zoom buttons to zoom in and out on the graph.
Try to put the start and stop points on pauses in the music so that the ringtone does not stutter
Step 6. Click on the 'Save' button when you are happy with the selection
This button looks like a disk and is located at the top of the screen.
Step 7. Name the ringtone
The name you enter when saving is the name that will be shown in the selection menu for your ringtone. Click 'Save' to save your new ringtone in the Ringtones folder.
To use a ringtone you created for other system sounds, such as an alarm or notification, tap the Ringtone menu and select the desired location
Step 8. Open the Settings app on your phone and select 'Sound'
Step 9. Click on the 'Ringtone' or 'Ringtone' option
Select your new ringtone from the list.